The Goths: The Gothic History of Jordanes, An Examination

The Gothic History of Jordanes.  edited by Charles C. Mierow, Merchantville, NJ:Princeton University Press, 1915.

The Goths were a Germanic barbarian tribe which appeared in history during the end of the Roman Empire. The Goths were instrumental in turning back the invasion of Western Europe by the Huns. One of the sources for Gothic history is the Getica written by the Gothic writer Jordanes.

            Jordanes was a Goth who held the position of military secretary likely wrote his history in Constantinople in 551. He was a convert to Nicene Christianity from Arianism and was possibly a bishop since there was a Bishop Jordanes in Constantinople during the same time. Jordanes based much of his history upon the work of Cassiodorus Senator, who was a secretary to Theodoric the Great and his successor Athalaric. Like Cassiodorus, Jordanes wished to elevate the Goths as partners with Rome to bring “peace and prosperity” to both people. (Mierow, 16) Jordanes’ use of Latin reveals a writer unskilled in the language but he is very open about the fact that he was “unlearned” before his conversion. But Jordanes remains important as the earliest surviving work of a Gothic historian.

            Jordanes begins his history by detecting the origin of the Goths within the geography of Europe, Asia, and Africa. He identifies the island of Scandza as the birthplace of the Goths under their King Berig. An examination of the geography Jordanes provides clearly identifies Scandza as Scandinavia and much of his early history contains mythical elements. Berig led the Goths from Scandza in three ships across the sea and eventually into the region of Scythia in central Eurasia, north of present-day Iran. Upon leaving Scandza, King Berig encounter the Vandals and “subdued” the barbarian tribe. (57) Jordanes presents the Goths within the midst of ancient and mythical history to portray the Goths as an important tribal group alongside the Roman Empire. He has the Goth’s present during the sacking of Troy and in an alliance with Phillip of Macedon during his conquest of Greece. By placing the Goths alongside the Egyptians, Amazons, and Persians, Jordanes gives the Goths a rich heritage comparable to the Greeks and Romans.

            The Getica becomes more historical as the Goths encounter the Romans in the Third Century A.D. The Goths fought alongside Emperor Maximian against the Parthians and alongside Constantine against Licinius. Jordanes becomes a valuable source through his historical accounts of the Huns, but he mixes his account of the origin Huns with the mythology of the Goths. King Filimer, the fifth king after the exodus from Scandza discovers witches among the Goths in Scythia. He expels the witches, who begin as a “

savage race, which dwelt at first in the swamps, a stunted, foul and puny tribe, scarcely human and having no language save one which bore but slight resemblance to human speech. Such was the descent of the Huns who came to the country of the Goths. (85)

            Jordanes marks the division of the Goths between the Ostrogoths who settled in the East and the Visigoths who settled in the West. The Visigoths become key players during the reign of Valens. Valens, an Arian, meets an untimely end at the Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianople) when he is wounded and after seeking shelter within a hut he burns to death after the Goths set fire to the structures. Jordanes clearly makes a connection between Valens’ heresy and his dishonorable death. Arian treachery appears when Valens’ lieutenant, Lupicinus invites Gothic chieftain Fritigern to a feast with the intention to kill him when Fritigern lays down his guard. But, Fritigern turns the table on the Romans when he hears the cries of his men and kills the Romans generals. While Jordanes wishes to establish a connection between the Goths and the Romans, Romans tied to Arian heresy meet their deserved judgment.

Battle of Adrianople Taken from about-history.com

            The relationship between the Romans and the Goths receives emphasis when King Alaric and the Visigoths send an embassy to Emperor Honorius and promise to settle if allowed to settle in Italy peacefully, but fearing the Visigoths Honorius promises homes in Gaul and Spain. After leaving the Goths met an army led by the patrician Stilicho who attacked the Goths. Throwing back the attack the Goths under Alaric went on to sack Rome, but they “did not set the city on fire, as wild peoples usually do, nor did they permit serious damage to be done to the holy places.” (94) When Athavulf became king, he sacked and stripped Rome “bare like locusts” and took the sister of Emperor Honorius, Placidia as his wife. Athavulf departed Rome with her wealth, but leaving Honorius Augustus, “pleased at heart because he was now a sort of kinsman of his.” (96)

 Painting of the meeting of Pope Leo and Attila created in 1514 by Raphael taken from Stanford History Education Group

            By the Fifth Century, Attila ruled over the Huns and all the tribes of Scythia. Attila was a fierce warrior, who was a “lover of war.” (102) Gaiseric, the king of the Vandals enticed Attila to attack the Visigoths since he feared Theodorid, kingof the Visigoths. The Visigoths allied themselves with the Romans to defend themselves against Attila and his Huns. At The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, the Romans under General Flavius Aetius combined their forces with the Visigoths under King Theodoric I. Jordanes records the inspirational speech of Attila and the battle resulted in the death of Theodoric when his horse threw him and then trampled by his own men. The Hun advance ended with the battle but the Huns continued to loot and pillage Gaul. Eventually the Huns arrived outside Rome but Attila and his army left after a visit from Pope Leo I persuaded him to depart peacefully.

A painting of Attila riding a pale horse, by French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) from Wikipedia

            Attila returned to his home country but threatened violence again when tributes promised by Theodosius failed to arrive. He promised more violence and warned Marcian the Emperor of the East of devastation. Attila turned toward the Visigoths but then moved his army in a different direction. Visigoth king Thorsimud sensed Attila’s trick and stopped the advance of Attila’s forces. The Visigoths routed Attila, who fled to his home territories. Jordanes reports Attila’s death as a disgraceful end. After a round of drunkenness, his attendants found Attila laying on the ground without any wounds but dead from an effusion of blood pouring from his mouth. (123)

Jordanes presents the history of the Goths in an effort to present the formerly barbarian Goths as admirable and worthy partners with the Romans. They excel in battle and as they remain faithful to Nicene Christianity the promises of God for blessings are assured. He concludes his work with the defeat of the Goths by the emperor Justinian through his consul Belisarius. But the Goths were a praiseworthy foe as illustrated by the reception of King Vitiges into Constantinople and awarded the title of Patrician.